Furnace.



J. R. FORTUNE.

FURNACE. APPLIOATIOH FILED 111111.12} 1910.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

r 2 QHEETB-BHEET 2.

JOHN R. FORTUNE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.-

, summon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27,1910.

. 1 Application filed March-12, 1910. Serial No. 548,953.

To allwhom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN R. Fon'runn, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

sidin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and .tate of Michigan, haveinvented certain new 'and useful Im rovements in F urmecca-of which thefollowing is a specificaon, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This lnvention relates to improvements in automatic stokers and moreparticularly to 'a grate especially adapted for burning anthracite andother of the smaller sizes of coal, and means for automaticallyoperating the grate.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap construction of grateformed of stationary and movable bars, said movable bars being providedwith means forming a continuous movable ledge or shelf forfeeding thecoal. from the hopper and each bar being provided with suitable airpassages to prevent its destruction by the heat.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for actuatingthe movable bars which means is adapted to 'move certain of the bars agreater distance than others; and to provide certain other new anduseful features in the construction and arrangement of. parts, all ashereinafter more fully described reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through afurnace embodying the invention;

portion of one side 0 l the furnace; Fig. 3 is Fig. 2 is a sectionalerspective detail of a a perspective view of a rock shaft for operatingmovable grate bars; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of one of the fixedgrate bars;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the movable grate bars; and Fig. 6 isa perspective view of one of the two parts or'halves of the same.

In the drawings, a smoke consuming furnace of the usual construction isshown, comprising side wallsl adjacent to which are hoppers 2, one sideof each of which is formed by an arch plate 3 for supporting the innerand outer arches 4 and 5 spanning the space between the hoppers.

6 is an ash pit above which is supported a grate bearer 7 havingbearings for the usual rotatable clinker bar 8 supported within the"bearer and extending longitudinally thereof.

Two inclined grates are each composed of independent grate barssupported with their upon the flange 9 of the grate bearer. A

main vertical web 14 is stepped or formed with a series of notches inits upper edge and provided with laterally extending flanges at theupper edge of each notch or step to form a seriesof fuel supportingshelves 15. Ribs 1G, projecting laterally from each side of the web,form continuations of the flanges forming each shelf and extend beneaththe shelf above to form air passages 17 through the grate beneath eachshelf for cooling the same and to prevent the fuel from droppingthrough. In the upper end of the web 14 of each stationary ,bar is ahole18 forminga bearing for a rock shaft 19 which extends transversely .ofthe bars through the open.- ings therein and is provided with alaterally extending rib 20, the opening 18 in each bar being formed witha lateral extension 21 for and allow the rock shaft to be rocked.

Each of the movable bars 11 consists of two hkeparts or halves, eachpart comprising a vertical web 22 which is stepped or notched lh itsupper edge in a manner si1n1- lar to the fixed bars and is formed withribs 23 extending laterally therefrom toward the similar ribs on theother web of the barv to space the webs apart and form an air spacewithin the bar, said ribs being integral with the web at the upper edgesof the steps or notches and meeting the corresponding ribs on the otherhalf of the bar to form narrow fuel supporting ledges or shelves 24:.The ribs are each extended rearwardly from each shelf beneath the shelfabove to form air passages 25 within the bar opening through the barbeneath one end of each shelf and above the opposite end of the shelfbelow.

The rearwardly extended portions of the ribs also prevent the fuel fromfalling through the grate through the open ends of said passages. Thetwo halves of the bar may if found desirable, be secured together withthe edges of the ribs 23 in contact, by

bolts or rivets 26 and the upper end of the bar, each web 22 is formedwith a notch 27 in itslower edge to engage the rib 20 on the rock' shaft19. The movable bars are '5 thus supported at their upper ends byresting upon the rock shaft 19 and each engages and slides upon' theflange 9 of the grate bearer at its lower end between two adjacent fixedbars, the edges of the ribs '16 of which 10 engage the plain out'ersidrs of the two adjacent movable bars, which bars'close' and form oneside of the air passages 17 of the fixed bars. At its extreme-upper end,each half ofeach movable bar is formed with an integral plate, whichplates on the halves together form a shelf 28,-with the inner edges ofthe plates held in contact with eachother and the outer edges'of theplates are extended laterally'beyond the sides of the 20 webs andoverlap the, upper shelves 15 of the two adjacent fixed bars to meet theshelves on the adjacentrmovablebars and form a continuous shelf acrossthe upper end of the grate. End portions 2-9,'fo'rmed f integral withthe inner eud of each shelf 28 and of the same width as said shelf,extend ward by the forward and backwardmovement of the movable bars. MPreferably the movable bars are never moved rearwardly beyond the endsof the shelves 15 of the fixed. bars and'thus the sides of the airpassages 17 are always closed, causing the air to pass through saidpassages in contact with the lower surfaces, of the shelves throughouttheir entire length and preventing the burning off of the forward 5'0corners of said shelves.

being in effect, formed hollow with internal air passages 25 directingthe air against the under surface of each shelf and opening through thebars at the inner ends of saidv shelves, said shelves are cooled inevery position of the bars by the air passing therethrough and theprojecting corners are prevented from burning off. v

I In practice it is found that it is desirable to, move those movablegrate bars which are near the forward and the rear furnace walls attheends of the grates, a greater distance than those near the middle of thegrate, so that the fuel will be given a greater impetus 5 near thewalls, overcoming the frictional re- 'bars alternating with thestationary bars,

The movable bars.

sistance to the downward movement of the fuel by lts engagement withsaid walls. To

accomplish this in a cheap and convenient v manner, the 11b 20 on therock shaft 19 is made of varymg w1dth, 1t being considerably 7 narrowerradially of the shaft, intermediate 1'ts.'e nds than toward each end,and thus when the rock shaft 1s turned to actuate the movable bars,those bars which engage the narrower portion of the rib will not begiven as great a throw as those nearer the furnace wallsv at the ends ofthegrate.

The construction of grate described is cheap tomanufacture and is veryefficient in burning anthracite or other small forms ofgo coal, and bymaking the upperrends of the l movable grates in such a waythat theyform a continuous shelf or stoker for moving the fuel from the hopper,the necessity for separate means for feeding the fuel to the grate 35bars is obviated. The-construction of the bars being such that allprojecting corners are at all times cooled by air currents passingthrough the bars, said bars are effectually prevented from beingdestroyed by'theheat 0 and an ample air supply is provided throughouttheentire area of the grates permitting the placing of the bars closetogether so that fine fuel will not fall through.

' Having thus. fullydescribed my invention 5 what I claim is r-' 1. In adevice of the character described,

vthe combination of a hopper, inclined sta-v tionary grate bars,inclined movable grate and means carried by the upper ends of themovable bars overlapping the stationary bars and: forming a continuousshelf at the upper end of the grate movable with the movable bars.

2. In a device of the character described, theoombination of a hopper,inclined stationary grate bars supported with their upper ends beneaththe hopper, inclined movable grate bars alternating with the stationarybars, and a shelf carried by the upper end of each movablehar mdvabletherewith beneath the hopper and extending laterally over eachadjacentstationary bar to meet the edges of the shelves on the adja-'cent movable bars, said shelves together forming a continuous stoker toreceive fuel from the hopper and feed the same on to the grate bars. i

v 3. Ina device of the character descrlbed,

the combination. of a hopper, a. series; of sta-- ti'onar'y inclinedgrate bars each having a stepped upper surface.forming-shelves forsupporting fuel, movable inclined bars between the stationary bars eachhavmg a stepped upper surface, a shelf on the upper end of eachmovablebar projecting laterally over the adjacent stationary bars to me'ettheshelves on the adjacentmovable bars "and form a continuous shelf across30 the upper; endof the grate beneath the hopper, and meansfor actuatingthe movable bars simultaneously in the same direction.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a hopper,a series of stationary grate bars having stepped upper surfaces,a'series of movable grate bars alternating with the stationary bars andhaving stepped upper surfaces, a shelf on the upper end of each movablebar to receive fuel from the hopper and extending over the upper stepsof the adjacent stationary bars, and a wall extending downwardfrom theedge of the shelf on each movable bar to the step below on said-bar andforming means for moving the fuel.

5. In an [automatic stoker, the combination with a hopper and a seriesof movable grate bars, of a rock shaft extending'across saidse-ries'ofbarsyand laterally extending means on'the rock shaft adaptedto engage and operate the bars, said means extending late ally from. oneportion of the shaft to a greater distance than from other portionsthereof to'give to certain of the grate bars a greater movement than tothe others.

.6. In an automatic stoker, the combination with a hopper and a seriesof movable grate bars of a rock shaft extending transversely of saidbars, and a rib on said shaft extending longitudinally thereof and projeoting a greater distance radially therefrom-at one portion of theshaft than at other portions thereof to engage and move said barsof theseries ditferent distances when the shaft is turned.

' 7. In an autoi'natic st0ker,.the combination with a hopper and aseries of movable grate bars, of a rock shaft extending trans versely ofsaid bars, and a radial rib extending longitudinally .of said shaft andpro ect1ng radially a greater distance therefrom near each end of theshaft than inter mediate the ends thereof toengage and move said bars,and means for turning the shaft.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a seriesof stationary grate bars each having a central vertical web stepped atits upper edge and formed with ribs projecting laterally from eachsideforming a series of shelves, a series of movable grate barsalternating with the stationary bars and each formed of separate partsand having parallel vertical webs having plain outer surfaces engaged bythe ribs on the adjacent stationary bars and provided with meeting ribson their adjacent surfaces forming a series of shelves and spacing thewebs to form an air passage beneath each shelf opening through the That,said ribs on the stationary bars also forming air passages openingthrough said stationary bars beneath each shelf, means for securing. theparts of each movable bar together and means for actuating the movablebars. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. FORTUNE.

Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, I ANNA M. Donn.

